At just two games over .500, the Atlanta Hawks don’t appear like true title contenders. But that’s not to take away some of the positives that the team has done this season.
The Hawks had the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA at just 103 points allowed per 100 possessions. They also won four of their last five regular-season games (SU/ATS), with victories over Boston and Cleveland twice.
On paper, Dwight Howard’s first season in Atlanta looks like a success, having secured a 13th-consecutive season of averaging double-digits in points and rebounds. Howard even averaged 14.8 boards in four games against Washington this season, but his 13.5 points per game for the entire campaign is his worst mark since his rookie year.
With Howard no longer an offensive force and with extended stretches of the team’s best player in Paul Millsap missing some contests, the Hawks have had a questionable offense that may not be able to keep up with the Wizards’ own prolific attack. They finished with a minus-70 point differential in the regular season – the worst amongst all playoff teams.
The Hawks need somebody else to step up tremendously if they’re to replicate their six-game series victory over the Wizards back in the 2015 of the East semis. That might just be Tim Hardaway Jr., who suddenly averaged 17.8 points per game after the All-Star break to give Atlanta a much-needed boost off the bench.
It’s been quite a magical season for the Washington Wizards, who won their first division title in 38 years and had a spectacular 17-game home win streak at one point.
New head coach Scott Brooks turned Washington into a bona fide contender out in the East with his recipe for offensive balance. During the season, the team had the most instances wherein all five of its starters scored in double-digits (27). But that doesn’t takeaway from the fact that it also has one of the best backcourt combinations in the league, as John Wall and Bradley Beal combined for an average of 46 points per game.
Wall, specifically, can now be safely considered as part of the NBA’s point guard crop. He’s one of only three players to average double-digit points and assists this season, and has come through late in contests time and again.
Apart from taking three of the four meetings against Atlanta this season (2-2 ATS), the Wizards have been simply clutch this season by going 32-23 in games with mere five-point deficits or less within the last five minutes. In addition, they’ve also beaten the Hawks twice wherein they were in that similar situation.
Writer’s Prediction
The Wizards (-5) cruise to an easy 109-97 victory.
